Web development tutorial

Tutorial created by Ray Borduin, WebAssist

Categories: MySQL, PHP

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In this tutorial, we walk you through getting started with PowerCMS, the PHP web application.

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What you need to start

PowerCMS 2
Existing PHP website you want content management for
Hosting Provider and MySQL database
You will need to have already signed up for a hosting service from a hosting provider, and have access to a MySQL server to store your database. Click here for instructions on how you can set hosting up.

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Extract the files

The Solution Pack files are stored within a compressed (.zip) file. You will need to unzip the contents before you can upload the solution pack.

Windows: Right-click the .zip file and choose Extract All...

OSX: Double-click the .zip file to automatically extract the contents to the same location where the .zip is located.

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Rename the folder

Your next step is to rename the rename_and_upload_this_folder directory that was extracted from the .zip file.
Most users will rename this folder 'powercms' and upload the entire folder to their remote site.

When navigating to the PowerCMS admin you will need to enter this folder name as part of the URL. For example, if you upload this folder to the root of your site and it is called 'powercms' the URL to access PowerCMS will be http://mysite.com/powercms.

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Upload the files

Upload the folder and all of its contents to your remote server within your existing website's files.
In order for your content to display on any PHP page of your site, this folder needs to be within the root folder of your website.

For more information, see the Uploading Solution Packs tutorial.

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Run the Wizard

Once all the files are uploaded, open your web browser and navigate to the index.php file within the directory you just uploaded. For example: http://mysite.com/powercms/index.php.

When loading this page for the first time, you will be directed to the PowerCMS Installation Wizard.

The PowerCMS Installation Wizard is designed to help you get this Solution Pack up and running as quickly as possible. The Installation Wizard will perform various checks on your server to ensure that it is running all the necessary scripts for PowerCMS to function properly.

It is important that your server passes all the server checks in the Installation Wizard. If it does not pass these checks, functionality in PowerCMS will likely not work.

Upgrading to a newer version? If upgrading to a newer version of PowerCMS, the Installation Wizard will give you the opportunity to choose whether you wish to copy the content areas from the older PowerCMS to the new one. In order to accomplish this, you must specify the same database settings as were used by the older version.

Server Settings
The Server Settings step displays the result of the Server Diagnostic Check. This check analyzes your server and will alert you if necessary features are not enabled.

If anything fails, resolve the issue and click Run Test Again to see if it is fixed.

If you are alerted that PHP 5 is not enabled you will need to have your Hosting Provider upgrade your service. This is typically provided for free by Hosting Providers, you just need to ask.

Database Info
The database info step allows you to enter the details for the database you intend to use for PowerCMS, so that the Installation Wizard can automatically add all the database tables to your database for you.

Watch a video on obtaining your database credentials or creating a new database.

Since most servers do not allow external applications to create new databases, you will need to create the database first through your Hosting Providers control panel. You can use an existing database, but to avoid conflicts it is advised that you start with an empty database.

Admin Info
The Admin Login step allows to specify the username and password that will be required in order to enter PowerCMS to manage your galleries or add images.

Using the Administrative Area
Once you have completed the Installation Wizard, you will be provided a summary of what was accomplished and directed to the PowerCMS. You will no longer be able to access the Installation Wizard, and can do everything you need to do from within this area.

To access the PowerCMS at any time, open your browser and enter the path to where you uploaded the files.

What to do next...

Now that you have installed PowerCMS on your server, you will want to progress through the system adding new pages and content.

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